
Class I-iL__iDik 
Bookj:_Ji_5L.SL_ 



State of Indiana 

Department of Public Instruction 

Indianapolis 

DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL EDUC^ATION 

Educational Bulletin No. 61 Vocational Series No. 23 

Some Results of Eight Years of Vocational 
Training in Indiana 




^\ 



Prepared under the direction of 

Benjamin J. Burris 

State Superintendent of Public Instruction 

By 

THE STATE VOCATIONAL STAFF 

and 

THE VOCATIONAL TEACHERS AND DIRECTORS 

OF INDIANA 

September, 1922 



Mm9tmfiL 



LIBRARY OF CONQRF88 
rt€CeiVEO 



- — MfclUMHIimiiMlllMMiMtmiwninri i m . J 






State of Indiana 
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 

INDIANAPOLIS 

Benjamin J. Burris, Superintendent 



Division of Vocational Education 
E. A. Wreidt, Director 

.^.v ..Z.M.:. SMITH , 
Supervisor of Agricultural Education 

BERTHA LATTA 
Supervisor of Home Economics Education 

H. G. McCOMB 
Supervisor of Industrial Education 

L. B. JOB 

Supervisor of Rehabilitation 



2—22170 (3) 



It is gratifying to note the success achieved by Indiana's 
vocational schools during their brief history of eight years. 
The large percentage of boys who have had vocational train- 
ing in agriculture and in trades, and v^ho are now at work at 
the occupations for which they were trained, shows that the 
vocational schools are realizing their aim in training boys for 
the farm and for the trades. 

The vocational schools constitute an efficient instrument for 
increasing the wealth of the state. For example, in Shelby 
county the vocational pupils tested 16,000 ears of seed corn 
one year. The yield from this tested corn, planted on 32 
Shelby county farms, was 11 per cent greater than the yield 
on other farms in the county. This is only one of many ex- 
amples which might be given, illustrating concretely the value 
of vocational training in home economics and industry as well 
as in agriculture. In the pages that follow the reader will 
find many other examples equally as striking. 

The need is that vocational training be so extended that its 
benefits may accrue alike to all sections of the state. Thus 
far only one-fourth of the state has been reached by voca- 
tional schools. This bulletin is submitted to acquaint the pub- 
lic with the aims and purposes of certain phases of vocational 
training together with the work accomplished. It is recom- 
mended for careful reading. 

Respectfully 

BENJAMIN J. BURRIS 
State Superintendent of Public Instruction 

August 28, 1922 



(4) 



SOME RESULTS OF EIGHT YEARS OF VOCATIONAL 
TRAINING IN INDIANA 



FOREWORD 

When the vocational education law was enacted in 1913, 
Indiana was the fourth state in the Union to establish a state 
system of vocational education. The first vocational schools 
under the Indiana law were started in the school year 1914-15. 
The state has thus had eight years of experience with voca- 
tional schools. This is long enough to enable us to measure 
the value of vocational training in terms of some of the re- 
sults obtained. 

The distinctive aim of vocational schools is to train boys 
and girls for suitable vocations. This does not imply that 
the vocational courses are narrowly vocational, that their sole 
aim is to train for vocations. Indeed, under the state and 
federal laws, no full-time vocational course can be approved 
unless it provides a "well-rounded course of study", unless 
it provides a certain amount of time for those general educa- 
tion subjects which promote health and develop intelligent 
citizenship. 

Nevertheless, one thing which distinguishes vocational 
courses from other high school courses is that the former aim 
definitely to train boys and girls for some vocation; the agri- 
culture course, to train boys to be practical, intelligent farm- 
ers, capable of putting to everyday use the principles of 
science which are applicable to agriculture; the industrial or 
trade course, to train boys to be skilled mechanics, not merely 
skilled in the use of tools, but trained in a knowledge of the 
science, mathematics, and drawing needed in the trades; the 
home economics course, to prepare girls to be practical and 
intelligent homemakers, able to put to use the principles of 
science and art and social relationships which are applicable 
to the home. 

To what extent have the above aims been realized by the 
vocational schools of Indiana ? What use is made of vocational 

(5) 



training by those who have had such training? Of the boys 
who have had vocational instruction in agriculture in high 
school, how many become farmers? Does instruction 
in agriculture result in improved farming as shown by con- 
crete results obtained by those who have had such instruction ? 

After a pupil has had a trade course in machine shop prac- 
tice, for example, in high school, and leaves school to go to 
work, does he work at the machinist trade, and if so, what 
benefit does he receive from his trade training in school? 

Does the vocational course in home economics actually 
function in the homes of the community? Is the instruction 
in vocational home economics used by the girls to bring about 
better homemaking in their own homes ? Are the homemaking 
activities in any home in the community changed for the bet- 
ter because of the fact that the high school conducts a course 
in homemaking? 

The pages which follow attempt to give answers to the 
above questions. These answers are mainly in terms of facts 
taken out of the experiences of boys and girls in Indiana who 
have been trained in vocational courses in agriculture, indus- 
try, and home economics. 

WHAT BECOMES OF THE BOYS WHO HAVE HAD 

VOCATIONAL COURSES IN AGRICULTURE 

AND INDUSTRY? 

The figures in Tables 1, 2, 3, pp. 24, 38, show that a large 
portion of the boys who have been trained in agriculture and 
in the trades are making use of this training after they leave 
school by working in the occupations for which they have 
been trained. The vocational schools in agriculture and in- 
dustry are therefore performing one of the functions they 
are intended to perform, namely, to give vocational training 
to future farm workers and to future industrial workers,, 
respectively. 

There is every reason for feeling gratified at this record, 
especially when one thinks of the many difficulties which sur- 
round parents, pupils, and teachers in connection with the 
choice of a vocation by a pupil. Even after a vocation has 
been chosen and after training for that vocation has com- 
menced, circumstances sometimes compel a change in plans. 



BENEFITS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING 

In addition to the statistics showing- what becomes of boys 
who have had vocational courses, this bulletin gives a num- 
ber of concrete examples showing some of the benefits which 
boys and girls have received from vocational training in agri- 
culture, industry, and home economics and how the practice 
of farming and the practice of homemaking in the community 
have been changed for the better as a result of vocational 
courses in the schools. Many more of these statements show- 
ing- the benefits of vocational training could be obtained. We 
have presented only those which are typical, endeavoring to 
avoid unnecessary repetition. 

WHAT PORTION OF THE STATE HAS BEEN REACHED 
BY VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS? 

Although Indiana has every reason to be proud of its prog-- 
ress in vocational education thus far, the task is not yet 
complete. Last year over 23,000 pupils were enrolled in voca- 
tional schools, including evening and part-time classes as well 
as full-timie classes in hig-h school. These pupils resided in 
341 different school corporations, which is about one-fourth of 
the total number of school corporations in the state. About 
three-fourths of the state, then, has not yet been reached by 
vocational schools. 

Stated in other words, 50 counties have no vocational agri- 
culture course, 61 counties have no vocational home econom- 
ics course, and 67 counties have no vocational industrial course. 

E. A. WREIDT 
State Director of Vocational Education 



SOME RESULTS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN 
AGRICULTURE 




Clarence Collicott, Greensburg 



STATEMENTS BY FORMER STUDENTS OF 
VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE 

Clarence Colli- 
cott had three 
years of voca- 
tional agriculture 
at Greensburg 

high school and 
is now renting his 
father's farm on 
shares. 

He says : "I think 
the course I took 
in agriculture is 
of great benefit 
to me, and my father also thinks so. For instance, my teacher 
and classmates treated seed oats for smut at my home. When 
my father came home and saw the oats he thought that we 
had ruined his oats, but when they were harvested he saw 
that the treatment had done a great deal of good. Since then 
we have been treating." 



Rollin Meek took vocational 
agriculture a t Greensburg 
high school for two years. 
He is now on his father's 
farm. 

He says: "I am caring for 
an orchard of 45 trees, prun- 
ing and sprayirlg. The trees 
and fruit are in much better 
condition than they were be- 
fore I began to care for them. 




Rollin Meek, Greensburj 



"The practice of seed corn selection in the field and germina- 



(8) 



9 




Paul Buell, Greensburg 



tion tests were things that we did not do before I took the 
work. Also I learned more concerning the type to select. 

"I had difficulty in getting my father to see that plowed 
ground left rolled do\vn lost more moisture than if mulched. 
We are breaking our ground deeper." 

Paul Buell had 
two years of voca- 
tional agriculture 
a t Greensburg 
high school. Since 
graduating he has 
been on his 
father's farm, 

having an interest 
in part of the 
livestock. 

He says: "I was 
as ignorant about 
the better methods of farming, such as seed selection, feeding, 
soil management, and the value of pure-bred stock as if I had 
been raised in town. We now have on our place the entire herd 
of pure-bred Big Type Poland-China. All of this started with 
the sow I bought when I enrolled in the sow and litter club. 
We liked the pure-bred pigs I raised so well that we just 
worked the entire herd over. We are now planning our first 
sale. It will be held some time this fall. We like the pure- 
bred hogs so well that we are changing our other livestock 
to pure breeds, finally having nothing but pure-bred horses, 
hogs, and cattle. We have changed our methods of feeding, 
using more nearly the balanced ration. 

"In the management of the soil and crops, I understand 
much more 'why we rotate and what effect it has on the 
upkeep of the soil, and the way we are plowing; also we are 
doing field selection of seed corn, a thing we did not do 
formerly." 

Mr. Buell says that the work Paul got in this course did him 
a wonderful amount of good, more than any other two years 
of schooling. 



10 




Robei't Barnes, Greensburg 



Robert Barnes had two years of 
vocational agriculture at Greensburg 
high school. He is now on the farm 
with his father. 

He says : "I wish to state that the 
agriculture course has benefited me 
in many ways, as I am in a position 
to use the lessons daily. Especially 
in caring for the orchard, it taught 
me diseases, and treatment for them, 
and how important it is to spray. 

"We saved at least twenty more 
pigs last fall than we would have if 
I had not taken animal husbandry. 

''I kept a record of the cows under 
the direction of the teacher which helped us to get rid of 
several cows that were not paying. Now we have a nice 
herd of pure-bred Jerseys." 

**I first secured one of a 
number of pure-bred Duroc 
gilts that the vocational 
teacher distributed to club 
members. This work led to 
a pure-bred hog sale and the 
success of the work helped 
very much to make vocational 
education a permanent thing 
in this community. 

"My greatest experience 
was in livestock judging work in which I took part for two 
years. The first year I was fortunate enough to make the 
county team but failed to place at the state fair. The sec- 
ond year, however, after another season's training by the 
vocational teacher, I won first in the county and later first 
in the state. This gave me a $100 scholarship in Purdue 
which I used in attending the short course. 

"When I was a senior in high school I had decided to teach 
school but after my experience in vocational agriculture work 
and also at Purdue I thought better of my plans and went 
into partnership with my father in farming. I have never 
regretted this decision. 




Lowell A. Beavers, Mt. Summit 



11 



"The vocational department has been instrumental in start- 
ing corn, pig, poultry, dairy, calf, and other lines of club work 
and has put on many kinds of demonstrations such as gather- 
ing, storing, and testing seed corn; poultry culling; spraying 
and pruning of orchards; diseases and insect control. These 
activities have materially improved farming in our community. 

"I do not believe any community can afford to be without 
vocational work as I believe it is an uplifter of fai'ming and 
starts the future generation of farmers on the right road." 
(Lowell A. Beavers, Mt, Summit.) 

"The two years of voca- 
tional agriculture which I 
took at Mt. Summit high 
school enabled me to begin 
breeding pure-bred hogs and 
cattle with my father, after 
leaving high school. I also 
raised much better corn than 
we had formerly raised. 

"Four years ago I bought 
a sow which has proved to 
be one of the best we ever 
owned. She has produced several sale toppers and our best 
litters. This sow, alone, has proven to me that my time has 
been profitably spent in the vocational course." (Ralph Nixon, 
Mt. Summit.) 




Ralph Nixon of D. W. Nixon & Son, Mt, 
Summit 




Clarence Chambeilin. Pendleton, and his foundation herd of Raleighs, started through 
club work. Secretary of Pendleton Jeisey Cattle Club 



3—22170 



12 

"I believe vocational agriculture is the most vital subject 
that the farm boy can study. It trains him both mentally and 
physically and enables him to work out and apply new and 
more economic methods in farming. Benefits derived from 
the study of livestock breeding and feeding will be worth many 
dollars to vocational agriculture pupils." (Clarence E. Cham- 
berlin, Pendleton.) 




Clarence Rogers, Pendleton, coming in with his foundation herd of pure-bred Jerseys. 
These animals are all fiom club calves in the calf clubs of Pendleton high school 

"Vocational education is the cheapest and most valuable 
way to get practical information on scientific methods." (Clar- 
ence Rogers, Pendleton.) 

Richard Norvell had one year of 
vocational agriculture at Shelbyville. 
He is now in partnership with his 
father on the home farm. 

He says: "The instruction in live- 
stock has been very profitable. We 
aim now to grow pure-breds just as 
much as we can. 

"For example, when we decided to 
sell most of our dairy cows, I kept 
milk records of the herd, and the in- 
crease in the price that we got for 
the cows, because we could show just 
what they had been doing, more than 
paid me for all the time that I spent 




Richard Norvell, Shelbyville 



studying vocational agriculture. 



13 

"Then there are many 'handy' ideas, like a hay-feeding rack 
and some feeding hoppers, that we have made use of. These 
handy ideas save much work and increase our profits. It is 
now hard to see how we ever got along without these devices. 

"Our work in orchards got me started, and now I make our 
orchard pay by regularly pruning and spraying, and by setting 
out young trees to take the place of dying ones." 

Glenn Reed, Veedersburg 

"I was twelve years old when I became interested in the 
club work of Fountain County. This same year the Farmers 
State Bank of Veedersburg purchased 20 pure-bred Poland- 
China sows for the boys' and girls' clubs. I was lucky in 
getting one of the sows by signing a note for $70.00 and 
agreed to give back two gilts in the fall. 

"I made a few dollars and won a few prizes at shows. My 
success increased my interest and then I entered the poultry 
club. I now have a fairly good flock of Barred Rocks, which 
brings in a few dollars each week. 

"In addition to the hogs and poultry I have a home apple 
orchard of 50 trees which is in excellent condition and bears 
enormous crops of apples. When I entered the high school 
the vocational agriculture teacher said if I would help him on 
the school orchard he would help me on my orchard, therefore 
I put up my work against his experience and now I am getting 
good results from the orchard. 

"I also have 3,000 strawberry plants, 100 raspberry plants, 
and 50 currant and gooseberry plants which will come into 
bearing this year. 

"Because of my interest and my successful experience my 
father turned the home farm over to me and now all the farm 
business is done through my name." "* 

STATEMENTS BY VOCATIONAL INSTRUCTORS 

Aurora 

Floyd Miller was compelled to leave school because his 
father could not get along without his help on the farm. 
Although Floyd had only one year of the vocational agri- 
culture course before he left high school, he has been very 
progressive and has done three noticeable things with their 
dairy herd: (a) he has an accredited herd now; (b) he has a 



14 



pure-bred bull from high producing dam and 10 fine ored 
Holsteins; (c) he has installed a DeLaval milker which the 
family couldn't operate successfully without him which caused 
him to drop out of school. His father operated a dairy of 
25 cows. 



Columbia City 




Floyd Shook, Columbia City 



Floyd Shook 
completed three 
years of the voca- 
tional agriculture 
course and is now 
living on a 240- 
acre farm. He is 
feeding cattle and 
sheep and milking 
a number of cows. 
He will also do 
the spraj'ing for 
the ring just or- 
. This is the first 



ganized by Mr, Burkholder in this county 
spray ring for Indiana. 

I have several boys who have changed their fathers' minds 
regarding fertilizers. Some have shown what can be done 
with poultry, others have been materially benefited by pig 
club work, others have caused the old neglected orchard to be 
renovated. 

Crawfordsville 

Manson Campbell 
is now a senior in 
Crawfordsville high 
school completing his 
fourth year as a stu- 
dent in vocational 
agriculture. 

When I went after 
this boy to interest 
him in the vocational 
course, he had started 
to work in a tin shop 

in town — had given up entirely the idea of completing a high 
school course, Hanson's father was a farm laborer, working 




Manson Campbell, Crawfordsville 



15 



by the day. The family owned one cow but no other stock 
of any kind and no farm tools or draft animals. 

The boy chose as his home project the care of a sow and 
was one of six boys who formed the nucleus of our first pig 
club. During his first year he made enough from his sow 
and litter to pay for the sow and for all his clothes and school 
expenses with some left in the bank for a nest egg. Best of 
all, however, his parents caught the enthusiasm he radiated 
and planned for better things. 

Two years ago the boy and his father rented a farm on 
shares, owner to furnish everything and give them one-third. 
The change in the family was remarkable — their success was 
so marked as to bring to them a much better offer for the 
past year, the third since the boy began the vocational course. 
They made enough to purchase tools and horses, and the 
past year has seen them equal partners with one of Mont- 
gomery County's best known swine breeders, with the boy 
owning, fully, a herd of five sows and one richly bred boar of 
the Durocs, which were his original choice. 

Manson Campbell looks forward to a course at Purdue fol- 
lowing his graduation this year from high school — a course 
made possible by profits from his own hogs. His father is 
so happy in their improved circumstances that he can hardly 
contain himself when talking of the benefit the work has been 
to the boy and to him. 

William Ramsay is now in 
his third year of the voca- 
tional agriculture course at 
Crawfordsville. He was in 
club work before entering 
high school. Ramsay is a 
confirmed hog farmer. Since 
he bought his first Duroc gilt 
he has stuck by that breed 
and can talk pedigrees, feed- 
ing, and breeding with the 
most experienced farmer in 
the Duroc Association. 

Twice since starting the vocational work he has been a 
winner in the pig club contests at the state fair. Last year 
at the Annual Club Round-up at Purdue he was a member of 
the team that won the swine judging contest. Twice the gilts. 




William Ramsay, Crawfordsville 



16 




fed by him, in preparation for the fair contest, have topped the 
annual sale held by his brother Paul and himself. 

In addition to his hog project work, this boy has for two 
years had a flock of pure-bred Rhode Island Reds, getting 
his start through eggs set as a poultry project his first year 
in the vocational course. These Reds have now entirely dis- 
placed the flock of mixed fowls formerly kept on their farm, 
and among the birds are many of real show quality. 

William's mother is a widow and the two sons are running 
the farm, this boy doing a full share of all farm operations. 

Frank Bales, Darlington, 
Indiana, Montgomery County, 
is the father of five boys. 
The three older boys upon 
completion of high school and 
college "went to town" and 
have never had any desire to 
return to the farm. 

Robert, his fourth son, 
started t o Crawfordsville 
high school the first year I 
came here as vocational 
teacher. He did not elect this course when he entered, but 
following a talk I made in assembly three weeks after school 
opened, he changed his course and has now been a vocational 
student three years and a half, will graduate in June, and 
plans to enter Purdue in the fall, taking the agriculture course. 
Robert elected the "sow and litter" for his project, choos- 
ing the Duroc breed. Mr. Bales had little hope at the be- 
ginning that his boy would even carry his first year's pro- 
ject to a finish, but he has seen the crystalizing of the boy's 
purpose to become a farmer and we have now no more en- 
thusiastic supporter than he. At the end of the first year, 
he told his boy that if he would agree to go ahead with the 
farm he would buy a good boar and other sows and go "fifty- 
fifty" with him, and turn the farm over to him when he was 
ready for it. Robert took him up on the hog business but told 
him "I don't want this farm. I don't want the boys ever to 
be able to say that you favored me. I shall have a farm of 
my own." 

Today Bales and Son have a splendid herd of Durocs. Their 



Robert Bales, Crawfordsville 



17 



farm has been named and the farm name given to their herd 
of Durocs. The father has in addition what he values above 
all the material possessions — the co-operation, sympathy, and 
intimate companionship of a son. 

Forest 

Owen Evans took two years of the course in vocational 
agriculture at Forest. He is now farming 160 acres in part- 
nership with his father and doing good work. He tested seed 
corn for diseases last year and secured an increase of 15.25 
bushels per acre over that of corn not tested. The tested 
seed gave an average yield of 87 bushels per acre, an increase 
of 21 per cent over the yield of the corn not tested. 

Frankfort 

Cleo Brock, a 
last year gradu- 
ate, is head 
cream tester at 
Schlosser Broth- 
ers Creamery. 
He learned how 
to test milk and 
cream in the 
a g r i c u 1 1 ural 
laboratory. 

Wilfred 
Young, a 1- 
though at pres- 
ent attending 
Purdue, is 
owner of some 
pure-bred Hereford stock and exhibited one in the 1920 Inter- 
national Livestock Exposition at Chicago. He had three years 
of the vocational agriculture course at Frankfort high school. 
Kenneth Cohee, also a Purdue student, has made his mark 
in the potato club. He has been in the potato club three years. 
Through selection of seed, fertilizing, and spraying he has 
increased his yield from 148 bushels per acre to 240 bushels 
per acre. 

Robert Irwin showed up the "dads" in corn growing by 
winning the county 5-acre corn contest. 





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Vocational boys, Frankfort, reading results of corn test for 
root-rot diseases 



18 



Loogootee 

Clarence Hopkins convinced both his father and his two 
brothers who were farming for themselves that pure-bred live- 
stock pays. None of these had ever had a pure-bred animal 
on the farm until Clarence secured a registered gilt in the 
White River Bank sow and litter club and cared for it accord- 
ing to methods learned in his school work. A fall litter from 
this gilt that was fed out with a litter from one of the other 
sows on the farm averaged just 56 pounds heavier than their 
scrub pen mates the next spring. Clarence is in the agri- 
culture class at Purdue this year and his brother has pur- 
chased a registered Shorthorn heifer and some pure-bred 
Poland-China gilts. 

John O'Neal started a partnership with his brothers during 
his high school course in breeding Poland-China hogs, Short- 
horn cattle, and Percheron horses, all registered. He also 
tested their seed corn, limed their hill ground, and started a 
young orchard. John could not see his way clear to go to 
Purdue as he and his two brothers had started so many things 
during his high school course that he did not think that it 
was advisable to leave now. They are making good. 

Ninety per cent of the boys who have taken vocational 
agriculture here are breeding or caring for pure-bred livestock. 



Mooresville 

Clifford Anderson began 
club work six years ago by 
joining the boys' and girls' 
poultry club. His flock now 
numbers 500 laying hens — 
Rose Comb White Leghorns. 
In 1921 he was the outstand- 
ing poultry club member in 
the state, having won the trip 
to the International Livestock 
Show. 

Clifford has also sent ex- 
hibits to the poultry shows at Chicago and at the Indiana 
State Fair, winning numerous ribbons. At one show in Chi- 
cago and once at the Indiana Fair he practically swept the 
boards of prizes on young stuff. 




Cliffoid Anderson's ducks, Mooresville 



19 

Clifford's poultry work has not been confined to chickens 
as he and his mother (they are partners) have ducks and 
geese also. 

Like most boys, Clifford wanted to branch out and learn 
more than one thing so he joined the pig club and selected 
work with Spotted Poland-Chinas. Before he started the pig 
club work, the home farm had various breeds and cross breeds 
of swine. Today nothing but Spotteds (about 100 head) can 
be found on the place. 

Clifford has also won prizes at the State Fair and Purdue 
in the pig club show, livestock judging, and egg judging. He 
has been enrolled in vocational agriculture classes at Moores- 
ville for three and a half years. 



New Salisbury 

John Ems, a member of the present sophomore class in 
vocational agriculture, has three registered Duroc sows from 
his start in the sow and litter club and is in partnership with 
his father in the hog business. All the hogs on their farm 
are registered now due to the fine showing of the club litter. 

John raised 88 bushels of Burbank potatoes last year on 
three-eighths of an acre. The seed was selected by himself. 
The majority of the potatoes here failed last year. This 
season he planted one-half acre with certified Rurals and plans 
to sell seed stock next year. He rents the ground from his 
father. 

Seymour 

Maurice Montgomery and 
his brother are operating 
their widowed mother's farm. 
Maurice joined the Jersey calf 
club and after three and one- 
half years in the vocational 
course is "making it go." His 
original calf club heifer and 
two of her heifer calves com- 
pose his herd but he is plan- 
ning to build from them. 
"The agriculture work has 

kept him in school and encouraged him greatly." (Mrs. Enola 

Montgomery.) 




Maurice Montgomery, Seymour 



20 



William Brackemeyer joined 
the Jersey calf club and later 
induced his father to pur- 
chase him a pure-bred bull, 
the first in his neighborhood. 
He spent two years in the 
vocational course and is now 
farming with his father. 
William is a member of the 
cow testing club. They have 
a male and three females, all 
registered, and are rapidly developing a pure-bred Jersey herd. 
"I became interested in pure-bred stock while studying dairy- 
ing in the vocational class." (William Brackemeyer.) "That 
testing was a fine piece of work." (Mr. W. 0. Brackemeyer.) 




William Brackemeyer, Seymour 



Warsaw 




Class cullinc 



poultry on one of the patron's farms. The father takes instruction with 
the boys. Warsaw 



Forest Tinkey grew potatoes at the rate of 

320 bu. per acre. Father's crop next 

to it, '%. as much. Warsaw 




21 

STATEMENTS BY PARENTS 
W. R. Campbell, Crawfordsville 

"Does vocational education pay? Being the father of a 
vocational boy I would say yes, and say it earnestly. Three 
years ago this February my boy wanted a gilt of his own for 
his vocational project. Arrangements were made with a Duroc 
breeder for a gilt. I worked by the day so I did not have any 
time to take care of the gilt. My boy worked and bought his 
own feed, and at the end of the year he had paid for the 
sow and all the feed and had one bred gilt and the sow 
left besides buying all of his own clothes. 

"The next year we rented a farm of 160 acres in shares, 
everything furnished, getting one-third. Now we have five 
sows and as good a boar as there is in the county, besides 
one-third interest in fifty sows and seventy pigs. 

"I say the vocational work pays." 

MeClellan Brown and Son, Russell, Elwood 

"I, Russell, was raised on a farm and have always lived 
there, but since I have taken the course in vocational agri- 
culture, I have learned more concerning farming that I ever 
knew before. We have also made a wonderful improvement 
on our corn, hogs, poultry, and dairy cows. Many other farms 
in this community have also improved greatly. We regard 
vocational agriculture as one of the best subjects than can be 
taught in high school." 

C. A. Young, Frankfort 

"I think vocational agriculture is a very valuable subject 
in the high school. It not only helps the boy from the farm 
but his parents also. It brings the projects of Purdue Uni- 
versity to the farm folks in a way that is most striking and 
the family receives some lessons in efficiency from the pro- 
jects carried out by the students in vocational agriculture. I 
heartily commend the vocational work." 

Porter Elsea, Frankfort 

"I think the agriculture course taught in high school is a 
great help to the farm boy of today as it enables him to form a 



22 

better idea of farming and also makes him a better and more 
profitable farmer." 

Frank Borders, Loogootee 

"I think vocational agriculture is a fine thing for the farmer 
as well as the boys. It has been a great help to my son. I 
also have learned a great many things which have been of 
great help to me, I will give my support to the work in the 
school whenever needed." 

Jerry K. Beavers, Mt. Summit 

Father of Lowell A. Beavers 

"Vocational work has been a great benefit to the farmers 
of this vicinity. It has been especially beneficial to me in 
caring for my hogs and fruit trees. I have gained much in- 
formation from my son's experience in vocational work and 
will be glad to see the work continue." 

E. E. Chamberlin, Pendleton 

Father of Clarence Chamberlin 

"Vocational agriculture is one of the best subjects taught 
in public schools. I believe the money used for vocational 
training is as well or better spent than that used for a great 
many other subjects." 

K. M. Hallowell, Pendleton 

"I think vocational agriculture is the thing and am for 
it." 

George A. Rogers, Pendleton 

"I am proud of the fact that our third and last son gradu- 
ated from high school with four years of vocational training, 
putting him abreast of others graduated ten years before who 
did not have the opportunity to study vocational agriculture. 
If four years of agriculture equips one to start ten years in 
advance of the academically trained, what are the opportuni- 
ties of a lifetime ?" 



STATEMENT BY THE STATE SUPERVISOR OF 
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 

Z. M. Smith 

The class in vocational agriculture at Shelbyville demon- 
strated the value of testing seed corn for germination and 
disease. One year this class tested 16,000 ears. The tested 
corn was planted on thirty-two Shelby county farms. Records 
on test fields and check fields showed that the tested seed 
produced a total increased yield of 11 per cent. Similar work 
was done by pupils in the schools at Greensburg, Pendleton, 
Greenfield, Metz, Spencer, Morristown, Frankfort and many 
other places. 

Gradually the improved rag doll and sawdust or sand testers 
have come into common use on Indiana farms as a result of 
the work done by public school pupils. 

Plant Only Tested Corn 

In all parts of the state farmers will not plant corn that 
has not been tested for vitality and disease. In many in- 
stances the corn is tested for the farmers by the agricultural 
class in the home school. A great deal of prejudice on the 
part of parents had to be overcome before the value of testing 
seed corn could be demonstrated in a practical way by the 

boys- ,: ■. ._i,.i:ii 

Improving Dairy Interests 

The schools have done a notable work in the improvement 
of the dairy interests of the state. Many unprofitable cows 
have been sent to the block as a result of the records which 
school boys have kept of their Babcock tests for butter fat and 
of the amount and kinds of feed used. In many cases good 
cows have been discovered by the boys and have been made 
even more profitable by the care given them and the i-ations 
fed in accordance with information obtained at school. In 
several counties pure-bred herds have been started by im- 
porting pure-bred calves or heifers and by distributing them 
among pupils who have organized and conducted their work 
as a club group. 

In Boone county 51 imported pure-bred Guernsey calves 
have been bought and developed into producing cows by boys 
and girls. Fountain, Wells, Marshall, Carroll, Posey, Clark, 



24 

Dearborn, and Bartholomew are among the other counties 
whose boys and girls have developed pure-bred dairy herds. 
One teacher of vocational agriculture has in two years been 
influential in bringing into his community 15 registered Short- 
horns, 5 Holsteins, 20 Jersey heifers, 3 Jersey bulls, and one 
Holstein bull. 

Orchards 

Fruit and vegetable growing have received a great deal of 
attention in the schools in all parts of the state. Budding, 
grafting, pruning, and spraying of fruit trees have been prac- 
ticed extensively by pupils, and in many instances the entire 
management of the home orchard has been intrusted to the 
boy who has studied agriculture in school. In many districts 
the class in agriculture takes charge of an orchard on a con- 
tract basis. The profits are used to purchase equipment for 
the agriculture laboratory or for other means of promoting 
the teaching of agriculture. Brazil, Greensburg, Greenfield, 
Columbia City,.Veedersburg, West Lafayette, and West Point 
are a few of the numerous schools that have successfully con- 
ducted orchard project work. 

Clover and Alfalfa 

Purity tests with clover and alfalfa seeds which have been 
made by the pupils in vocational agriculture courses have 
netted the farmers of the state an amount equal to a snug 
fortune. 

WHAT BECOMES OF THE BOYS WHO HAVE HAD 
VOCATIONAL COURSES IN AGRICULTURE? 

Table 1 below shows that of the 711 boys in Indiana who 
have had one year or more of vocational training in agriculture 
in high school, and who are at work, 76 per cent are engaged 
at farming, the occupation for which they were trained. 

Table 1. Boys Who Have Had One Year or More of Vocational Agri- 
culture in Indiana. May 1922 

Number of schools 60 

Total number of pupils having one or more years of training- 2,531 

Number still enrolled in the vocational course 1,422 

Number still in high school but in other courses 248 

Total number left high school 861 



25 

The 861 who have left high school are accounted for as follows: 

(1) No further data available 46 

(2) In college (total) 104 

(a) In agricultural course 36 

(b) In other courses 68 

(3) At work (total) 711 

(a) At the work for which they were trained 542 

(b) At other occupations 169 

PER CENT WHICH (a) IS OF (3) 76 

In 22 agriculture schools all (100%) of the boys who have 
had one year or more of the vocational course in high school, 
and who are at work, are engaged at farming. This involves 
102 boys in the 22 agriculture schools. 

These figures show that the Indiana vocational schools in 
agriculture are performing one of the functions they are in- 
tended to perform, namely, to give vocational training to 
future farm workers. 

It is also interesting to note that boys who have taken the 
vocational course in agriculture, which prepares them to be 
farmers, are also able to meet college entrance requirements. 
As shown in Table 1, 104 boys who have had one year or more 
of the vocational course in agriculture were in college; 36 of 
these boys were in the college agriculture course and 68 in 
other courses. 



2G 




Public school pupils judging corn in a state contest at Purdue University. Between 1,300 
and 1,400 boys were trained in the public schools for this state contest 




Public school pupils judging swine in a state contest at Purdue University 



SOME RESULTS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN 

TRADES 



STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS, STUDENTS, 
AND INSTRUCTORS 



Carl B r e w e r, 
trained in the ma- 
chinist course in 
the South Bend 
high school, is now 
employed at the 
South Bend Lathe 
Works. J. J. 
O'Brien, a member 
of that firm, says: 
"We have had ap- 
proximately 25 of 
these boys and 
Their training- has made 




Carl Brewer, South Bend 



find them very satisfactory workers 
them more efficient, more interested, and more intelligent 
workers. This kind of training is of great advantage not 
only to them, but also to the South Bend Lathe Works." 



Malvin Minor took the 
Richmond vocational machin- 
ist course and is now with T, 
A. Robinson Garage and Ma- 
chine Shop, Richmond. He is 
an all-round mechanic. Mr. 
Robinson says: "These are 
dull times but if you have any 
more as good as this young 
fellow, send them around." 




Malvin Minor, Richmond 



1^4—22170 



(27) 



28 



Ralph Hosack and 
Clark Palmer, who 
took the Richmond 
vocational course for 
machinists, are com- 
pleting their time as 
machinist helpers this 
year at the Pennsyl- 
vania R. R. shops. 
This picture shows 
them as they were 
caught on the job, re- 
placing a journal on a 
big passenger locomotive. Superintendent Pfafflin is enthusi- 
astic about these boys. He states: "They learn and are will- 
ing workers. It will not be long until they will be full fledged 
railroad machinists able to go ahead and do any job. Their 
school training shows in their work. Count on us when you 
have -boys like these." 




Ralph Hosack, right ; Clark Palmer, left, Richmond 



Edward Wentz, another graduate of the Richmond voca- 
tional course for machinists who works in the Pennsylvania 
shops is a journeyman machinist. He was not on duty at the 
time the above picture was taken. 



Omer B. Coons 
took two years of 
the sheet metal 
drafting course in 
the evening school 
at Crawfordsville. 
While taking this 
course he was 
making tanks in 
the Crawfordsville 
Wire and Nail 
Company but was 
shortly trans- 
ferred to the sheet metal department and later was made 
foreman of this department. 




Omer B. Coons, Crawfordsville 



29 



Harold Stamback and Paul 
Boomershine took the Rich- 
mond vocational printing- 
course and are now with the 
Nicholson Printing- Company. 
Stamback works in the com- 
posing room while Boomer- 
shine works in the press 
room. A third former stu- 
dent, Donald Burkhart, is 
employed in the press room. 
Superintendent Wolfe says : 
"Three first-class young fellows. 




Harold Stamback, right ; Paul Boomershine. 
left, Richmond 

Your course is a fine thing-." 




Arthur Williams. Richmond 



intendent Whisler 
right hand man. 



Arthur Williams who took 
the Richmond vocational 
printing- course now holds 
down the advertising- fore- 
manship in the Palladium 
Printing- Company. Mr. Will- 
iams was the first student to 
complete the course. His 
merited advancement has 
come to him largely as a 
result of the course plus 
hard, earnest work. Super- 
stated that he considered Mr. Williams his 



Hubert Rhodes took two years of 
the vocational printing course at 
Anderson. He has been working in 
the printing department at Remy 
Electric Company for less than two 
years and now has complete charge 
of the department. 



K'i 








-m 



Hubert Rhodes, Anderson 



30 



Earl Balling'er, who 
took the Richmond voca- 
tional machinist course, is 
in business with his 
father in the Ballinger 
Machine Repair Shop. 
They do a general ma- 
chine business and young 
Ballinger can handle any 
job that comes to them. 
His father says: "We 
consider the lad an all- 
round hand and call on 
him for any kind of work that any of the other men do." 




Earl Balling'er, Richmond 



Elmer Hurrell took one year of 
the Richmond vocational pattern 
makers' course before graduating 
from senior high school. He has 
entered into partnership with his 
father who owns and operates the 
Empire Brass Foundry. "I have one 
regret," Elmer said, "and that is that 
I could not complete the course." 




Elmer Hurrell, Richmond 




HarQl4 Ritchey, right ; Russell Stevenson, 



Harold Ritchey and Russell 
Stevenson took the Richmond 
vocational printing course. 
They are now employes in 
the press room of Demis Coe 
Printing Company. Both are 
journeyman pressman. Mr. 
Coe in discussing this pair, 
stated that his forty years of 
experience had not developed 
a more promising couplet of 
printers. 



31 




Robeit M. Tate, Anderson 



Robert Tate completed the 
two-year course in vocational 
drafting at Anderson and 
then worked in the drafting 
department of the Midwest 
Engine Company of Ander- 
son. He is at present de- 
signer at the National File 
Co. Mr. C. E. Records, 
speaking for the Midwest 
Company, states: "He can 
execute an excellent drawing 
and he is much farther ad- 
vanced than one would expect 
from a boy of his age. He 
also shows excellent mechan- 
ical ability." 




Webster Rankin, rig-ht ; William Hcnsley, 
left, Richmond 



Webster Rankin and Will- 
iam Hensley took the Rich- 
mond vocational machinist 
course and are now lathe 
operators for Richmond 
Piston Ring Company. Hens- 
ley supports a widowed 
mother and a small brother. 
His training was in part 
time and night school. His 
young brother has applied for 
a place in the regular voca- 
tional machinist course. Webster Rankin plans to get into 
a tool room and learn that trade. He has been out of school 
one year. 

Roy Plummer, Richmond 

Roy Plummer took the Richmond vocational course for 
machinists. Upon graduation he entered the machine tool 
department of the National Automatic Tool Company where 
he was transferred to the drafting and design department. 
Because of his all-round training in machine work, drawing 
and applied mathematics he advanced steadily to a drafts- 
man's position. Before enlisting in the navy he worked as a 
draftsman for the Duro Pump Company. When the war 



32 



closed he returned to his former employer, The National Auto- 
matic Tool Company. 

This year he entered Ohio State University to take a me- 
chanical engineering- course. He was influenced by his em- 
ployers and friends to make this move based on his previous 
success as a result of the vocational course in high school and 
a willingness to do hard work. 

Glen Tracy took the voca- 
tional drafting course at 
Muncie high school and is 
now employed in the drafting 
department of the Warner 
Gear Company, Muncie. The 
chief draftsman of this com- 
pany states that Glen was 
able to secure this position 
because of his training in the 
vocational drafting course. 




Glen Tracy, Muncie 




Malcolm Meek, Richmond 



Malcolm Meek, who is tak- 
ing the Richmond vocational 
course for draftsmen is, in 
addition, reporting building 
contracts for the F. W. 
Dodge Construction Reports 
Company and doing special 
assignments in a local archi- 
tect's oflfice. During summer 
vacation he works in an archi- 
tect's office. He is an honor 
roll student. His case is a 
fine example of a boy getting into the right course. Previous 
to entering this course he was out of school for a time and 
had a poor record while in school. 

Paul K. Mitchell is a graduate of the Kokomo high school. 
He had two years of the vocational drafting course and has 
been employed for over a year in the drafting room of the 
Haynes Stellite Company. During the industrial depression, 
this company laid off a part of the drafting force that had 
worked for the company much longer than Mr. Mitchell, but 
they have retained him and have increased his salary three 
different times within the last year. 



33 



..J^^ 


^^^^ 


' ^f* t^"''*" ti-! ^^»^ A «i^^H 


iri-^ 


ms i^^ ^M,'^ ' ^^ !"' i ^K^- ZiWBmm 


li^f f- h - 






' M^'M 1^ " ^^^ppstJil 


^■•*v-. _- ^ 





Work being done by vocational classes in building trades. Petersburg 

Harold Eastus took the vocational drafting course at 
Muncie high school and is now in the drafting department of 
the Hemingray Glass Company, Muncie. Mr. F. M. Crapo, 
speaking for this company, says: "He is doing work that is 
entirely satisfactory and seems to be well grounded in funda- 
mentals. We are at all times glad to co-operate with the voca- 
tional drafting department of the Muncie high school." 

Charles H. Lutes 
spent one year and 
a half in the voca- 
tional drafting and 
carpentry course 
in Vincennes and 
later secured a 
position as archi- 
tectural draftsman 
with a firm in 
French Lick. The 

CnUlCn m tne pic- church designed by Charles H. Lutes, Vincennes 

ture is located at 

Dale, Indiana, and was designed by Charles. 



HI 


Q^ 




i 


V 


f|OT 


m 


p| 


y 




u 


"■f ^ *■ ^ 


^ 


^H 


B| 




H| 




i 


^,i' '^H 


■ 




^ 


li 



Frank W. Raab, South Bend 

"I have installed a new 8x12 Gordon Press with power 
fixtures. This will enable me to do more work. I now handle 



34 



five to ten jobs a week. This brings me a good profit and will 
enable me to finish high school and have an established busi- 
ness, I greatly appreciate the instruction and encouragement 
received in the vocational print shop in high school." (Frank 
W. Raab, South Bend.) 



J. C. Cotner took four years of the 
vocational drafting course in the 
evening school of Logansport, having 
previously taken some mechanical 
drawing in the day high school. He 
states: "I was more than pleased to 
have an opportunity to continue my 
study of drafting in the evening 
school. This training enabled me to 
secure employment as a draftsman. 
I was later promoted to the position 
of assistant chief draftsman in the 
plant of a large truck manufacturer. 
I am now in business for myself." 




J. C. Cotner, in foreground, 
Logansport 



Laddo Maly entered the Anderson 
evening school in the fall of 1915 when 
he was working as a common laborer 
at the Remy Electric plant. After 
completing 20 weeks (2 terms) in the 
evening school he was put in the pat- 
tern shop of the Remy plant where 
he is now a journeyman pattern 
maker. 




Laddo Maly, Anderson 



Terre Haute Battery Co. 

"We are in need of another young man for our electrical 
department. This will be a permanent position and we ask 
that you recommend one of your graduates to us. 

"Young Powell, whom you sent us for Saturday work some 
months ago, is highly satisfactory and we will use him steadily 
all summer, but he tells us he must return to school next fall. 



35 

"We should be ungrateful if we did not express at this time 
our appreciation to you, as principal of the boys' vocational 
school, for the service your splendid institution is rendering 
the automotive industry in this locality. We have heretofore 
been compelled to take in green boys, and train them as best 
our time and ability would permit. Our time and patience, 
to say nothing of our ability, have been so limited that we 
usually had to keep a boy from six months to a year before 
he was of any value to us, but now with your staff of special- 
ized boy trainers you equip them with the peculiar knowl- 
edge that makes it possible for them to earn the minute they 
enter our shops. 

"In wishing you continued success with your splendid work 
we believe we voice the sentiments of the combined automotive 
industry of Terre Haute." (J. B. Sullivan, Terre Haute Bat- 
tery Co.) 

Remy Electric Co., Anderson 

"The Remy Electric Company considers vocational training 
as given in the Anderson high school of vital importance to 
all industries in this community. The boys who have com- 
pleted their vocational training course in high school have 
made good operators in much less time than boys who have 
had no training along this line. We also watch with interest 
any of our employes who attend the night classes and en- 
courage them to attend. 

"We have been much benefited by the 'foreman training 
course,' and we are planning to continue this course at our 
own expense. In order to do this we are sending one of our 
foremen to school in Minneapolis to prepare himself to train 
the foremen." (T. E. Jenkins, Manager Employment Depart- 
ment, Remy Electric Co., Anderson.) 

T. H. I. & E. Traction Co., Terre Haute 

"We have employed quite a number of vocational school stu- 
dents and have found their work very satisfactory and very 
helpful to us. In my opinion the training you give in your 
vocational school (Boys' Vocational School, Terre Haute) 
should be a very big asset to any student who plans to follow 
that particular line of work." (G. 0. Nicolai, Superintendent 
Light and Power, T. H. I. & E. Traction Co., Terre Haute.) 



36 

Engles Motor Co., Terre Haute 

"We have had two boys that have been through your train- 
ing and find they are very capable and quick to take hold of 
our repair work. Their moral training is very good along 
with their mechanical training, and from our experience we 
feel that your work is very valuable to the automobile indus- 
try and gives the young generation a training that is going 
to be very valuable to themselves as well as to the general 
public." (Wm. A. Engles of Engles Motor Company, Terre 
Haute, Indiana.) 

Arvac Manufacturing Co., Anderson 

"We are absolutely sure that the Anderson evening school 
has done a great deal of good. It has created an interest in 
mechanics at this plant which would cost us a considerable 
sum of money to duplicate." (B. G. Kramer, Superintendent 
Arvac Manufacturing Co., Anderson.) 

St. Joseph Valley Typothetae 

"A number of boys, trained in the vocational print shop of 
the South Bend high school, are now employed in different 
printing establishments of South Bend. The training they 
have received in school has enabled them to earn more at 
the start, to advance faster, and to become more valuable to 
themselves and to their employers. We will be very glad to 
co-operate with the school print shop at any time we can be of 
service." (W. A. Meeks, Exec. Sec. St. Joseph Valley Ty- 
pothetae, South Bend.) 

STATEMENT BY THE STATE SUPERVISOR OF 
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION 

H. G. McComb 

Following are some of the ways in which manufacturers 
and vocational industrial schools are co-operating in Indiana: 

In one Indiana city a student had received an all-round train- 
ing in cabinet making and related drafting. Shortly afterward 
he entered the employ of a furniture firm. Some new designs 
were being worked out. The employer needed a man who 
could make a complete piece of furniture. He found the man 



37 

in this young school-trained workman and shortly advanced 
him to the position of foreman. In many other cities and in 
other trades, boys receive this all-round training and em- 
ployers recognize its value. 

Through an arrangement made by the employers and the 
vocational director of a certain city, the advanced trade stu- 
dents worked in the industrial plants instead of the school 
shop for four months. The employers had an opportunity to 
test out some trained and intelligent boys and the boys had 
an opportunity while still in school to test their own training 
and ability. All these boys found employment the day fol- 
lowing the close of school. The "try-out" period had been 
passed. The employers called for more co-operation of this 
sort. 

In many cities the manufacturers look to the school for 
many odd jobs of machine work. The firms send blue prints 
to the vocational school and furnish materials including steel 
and castings in the rough. In the vocational school shop the 
boys plane, turn, mill, or otherwise work this material within 
the limits stated in the specifications. After a student has 
developed considerable skill he has an opportunity to test his 
ability in the making of drills, reamers, and other tools. All 
these projects must meet the regular standards of the trade 
since they are turned over into industry when completed. The 
boys are thus trained on production jobs. Since the aim of 
the vocational school is not production but the training of 
boys, such production jobs are limited to the number and the 
kind needed to give the boys a good practical training. 

In one vocational school shop, an attachment to a drill press 
was designed and built for a manufacturer. This attachment 
enabled the manufacturer to reduce three drilling operations 
to one. 

WHAT BECOMES OF BOYS WHO HAVE HAD 
VOCATIONAL COURSES IN TRADES? 

Table 2 below, for the full time industrial or trade school, 
shows that of the 226 boys who have had one year or more 
of vocational training in a particular trade, and who are at 
work, 79 per cent are at work in the particular trade for 
which they were trained. This means, for the per cent stated, 
that if a boy was trained for the machinist trade he is now 



38 

at work in the machinist trade, and if he was trained for the 
printing trade he is now at work in the printing trade. 

Table 2. Boys Who Have Had One Year or More of a Vocational Indus- 
trial Course in Indiana. May 1922 

Number of cities 11 

Number of courses 25 

Total number of pupils having one year or more of training 724 

Number still enrolled in these courses 310 

Number still in high school but enrolled in other courses 110 

Total number left high school 304 

The 304 who have left high school are accounted for as follows: 

( 1 ) No further data available 49 

(2) In college (total) 29 

(a) In industrial courses 23 

(b) In other courses 6 

(3) At work (total) 226 

(a) At the occupations for which they were trained 178 

(b) At other occupations ■. 48 

PER CENT WHICH (a) IS OF (3) 79 

In ten industrial courses, conducted by six cities, all (100%) 
of the boys who have had one year or more of the vocational 
industrial course in high school, and who are at work, are 
engaged at the particular trade for which they were trained. 
This involves 90 boys in the ten industrial courses. 

The above figures show that the Indiana vocational indus- 
trial schools are performing one of the functions they are in- 
tended to perform, namely, to give vocational training to 
future trade workers. 

It is also interesting to note that boys who have taken the 
vocational industrial course, which prepares them to be skilled 
workmen in trades, are also able to meet college entrance re- 
quirements. As shown in Table 2, twenty-nine of the boys 
who have had one year or more of the vocational industrial 
course are in college ; twenty-three of these boys are in college 
industrial or engineering courses, and six are in other college 
courses. 

The 226 boys (Table 2) who are at work, had received train- 
ing in nine different trades in high school. Table 3 shows the 
particular trades in which these 226 boys had been trained and 
also gives for each trade the per cent of boys who are at work 
in the trade for which they were trained. 



39 



Table 3. Particular Trades in Which Boys Have Been Trained. May 1922 



Trade Course 


Number 
of cities 
reporting 


Total 
number 
at work 


Per cent at work at the 

occupation for which 

they were trained 


Architectural drawing 

Foundry 

Auto mechanics 

Machine shop 

Printing 

Electrical work 


1 
1 
1 
5 
4 
3 
3 
6 

1 


10 

2 

12 
64 
33 
34 
10 
35 

26 


100 

100 

92 

89 
82 
76 


Pattern making 


70 


Drafting 


63 


Architectural drawing and 
carpentry 


61 


Total 


25 


226 


79 (average) 



SOME RESULTS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN 
HOME ECONOMICS 




"During the summer of 1921 I 
put into practice what I learned 
in the vocational home economics 
class at school the year before. 
"I made three gingham dresses 
for pay, an underskirt for my 
baby sister, a skirt for my 
mother, and two wash dresses for 
myself. 

"When I was ready to make the 
second dress I discovered that I 
had no pattern — and could not 
buy one as I was at a lake far 
from any dry goods store. The 
articles that I had were a thimble, 
needle and thread, scissors, and 
the material. For a pattern I 
took off the dress I wore, laid it 
on the material, and cut out the 
waist. The skirt required no pat- 
tern for it was made of two straight pieces. 

"While mother was gone I kept house for father and took 
care of my two little sisters who are six and seven years of 
age, and my brother, ten. My father is very kind and has lots 
of patience. He used to try to help me cook. But now he 
never comes into the kitchen to help because the vocational 
course has taken his place." (Crystal Young, Logansport.) 

Mother Also Learns to Sew 

"While I was visiting in Edith's home inspecting a sewing 
project, her mother asked me to come for dinner and teach 
her the correct way to sew. She said she wanted help to learn 
and didn't want help simply to get a garment made or any 
quantity of sewing done. The result was that mother and 
daughter learned how to make middy blouses, cut out gar- 
ments, and remodel gingham dresses." (Emma F. Kline, 
Vocational Home Economics Teacher, Huntington.) 



Crystal Young wearing a dress made 
in vocational class, Logansport 



(40) 



41 



Trouble Averted by Removing- Stains 

"I had just finished ironing- a large pile of dish towels and 
they were so smooth that I was proud of my work. My cousin 
came into the room carrying a can full of cherries. 'Just look 
at 'em! They're certainly peaches!' he said, balancing the 
open can on his outstretched palm. 'They're not,' said I, 
'they're cherries ! Oh Bud, those clean towels !' For Bud had 
dropped them on my beautiful towels and there were brown 
ugly stains. I felt like crying but instead I applied some of 
my home economics experience. I held the towels over a big" 
bowl, and poured hot water through them from a height. The 
stains came out beautifully. That is only one of the many 
times that I have removed stains from garments in the way 
that we were taught to do in the home economics course." 
(Gertrude Roach, Winamac.) 

"As a student of Wabash high 
school, I feel very proud that I 
am taking the vocational course. 
I have a little brother seven years 
old who is seemingly healthy and 
goes to school every day, but since 
I have studied and become inter- 
ested in the 'dietetics course,' I 
took notice that he didn't eat the 
foods suitable for children and I 
decided to try out the knowledge 
I had gained from the vocational 
course in dietetics. I began to 
plan his meals and to eliminate 
some of his favorite dishes, espe- 
cially coffee, peanut butter very 
frequently, large amounts of 
candy and meat, pie, and cake. 
Now he is gaining in weight and 
is capable of much more activity 
and fun. He does not tire so readily as formerly. It was not 
hard to break him from his old dishes because he likes the new 
ones which include milk, poached eggs, instead of fried, cocoa 
instead of coffee, and fresh fruits." (Florence Knotts, 
Wabash.) 




Florence Knotts and little brother, 
Wabash 



42 



Making New Garments from Discarded Clothes 

"Our sewing class decided on a new problem, 'make-overs.' 
It was merely a plan of making new and useful garments from 
old or discarded clothes. One girl had some diagonal cloth 
(an old coat) and by combining it with some striped material 
she contrived a very suitable school dress. Her boast was that 
her dress cost ten cents. Another girl used two of mother's 
skirts of blue but of different shades. Harmony was secured 
in this instance by an embroidery design in black silk floss, the 
design being worked on the line where the two shades of blue 
came together. 

"Sister's discarded blue skirt, a bit of plaid, some buttons 
and a perky bow make a most becoming dress for its wearer. 
A mother's old green serge, side-plaited dress was used in 
making a dress 'good as new.' A little round vest, collar and 
cuffs of henna added to its attractiveness. 

"Some people have a horror of 'making over' but it really 
is fun if you know your material to be worth using. Just plan 
and press and plan some more and we, the 'sophomore voca- 
tional class,' are sure you will find your problem will be no 
longer a dread." (Wilma Smith, Veedersburg.) 

"I am the only girl of a family 
of seven. If any of you have just 
one brother you will know how 
hard boys are to cook for. I have 
four brothers. Just imagine then 
what my mother has to do. She 
often tells me that it is such a 
help when I just tell her what to 
prepare. 

"Last year I could not help in 
this way as I did not know very 
much about cooking and I was not 
studying home economics. This 
year 'I opened my eyes' and am 
taking the course. In the first 
month of the w^ork I was taught 
to prepare a meal that would con- 
tain the right kind of food mate- 
rial and that would also satisfy 




Ruth H. Besse, Brookston 



the family. 



43 

"Mother in her hurry to have the meal on time for us school 
children never had the time to prepare a variety of foods. She 
would often have a menu as follows: beefsteak, mashed 
potatoes, asparagus (or macaroni and cheese), wheat bread 
and butter, coffee, milk. This seemed to satisfy the boys for 
a time but they grew tired of the same thing day after day. 
They would coax mother to have cake and pie or they would 
say: 'Mother, please don't have any more mashed potatoes, 
I am so tired of them.' The boys liked mother's bread making. 
If the bread was passed the boys would say: 'Is this your 
bread, mother?' 

"Mother was almost a nervous wreck. Finally I was so pre- 
pared that I could help her. I suggested that some evening 
for supper she should have creamed beef on toast, baked 
potatoes, butter, cocoa, and prune whip. The boys liked this 
menu. I had brought home several recipes for brown bread, 
nut bread, and several cakes. These she tried and they all 
proved a success. 

"Now I can go home and not only help mother in planning 
the meals, but I can also help her to prepare them. The boys 
like my meals better than mother's because by careful plan- 
ning I give them a greater variety of combinations. 

"From this you can see that the home economics course has 
not only helped me but also my mother. Now my brothers 
say: 'Gee, Sis, but you are a good cook, when are you going 
to bake another cake?'" (Ruth B. Besse, Brookston.) 

Why Not Dress Becomingly? 

"A short time ago a lady called at our home and of course 
the subject was 'dress.' She was planning a dress for herself 
and had already selected the pattern and decided upon the 
material to be used. She was a large, stout person and the 
pattern selected was one that would look well upon a slender 
person but very unbecoming to one built as she was. The ma- 
terial was a large plaid. She had never learned that plaids, 
curved lines, and ruffles are very unbecoming to persons built 
as she and that straight lines, vertical stripes, and inconspicu- 
ous colors are suitable for her type. I took my learning in 
hand, which I had obtained in the last two years in the high 
school class in sewing, and pointed out to her the women of her 



44 



type who dress becomingly and those who did not. In a short 
time I brought her around to my point of view by applying 
the above suggestions. She then selected a thin material of 
dark color and a pattern of straight lines. In about a week she 
called again and this time she had on the dress we had planned. 
She was very much pleased with it and I know she agrees 
with me when I say it is the most becoming and practical dress 
she has ever owned." (Gladys Hollinshead, Plymouth.) 



"Last year in home nursing 
class we learned a great deal 
about the care and feeding of the 
sick. It was fortunate that I 
studied this course for one day 
during the summer of 1921, word 
came that my uncle at Detroit, 
Michigan, wanted me to come and 
help care for my aunt who had 
a large cancer on her head. 

"When I arrived I found that 
my aunt was not at all pleased 
with her nurse so I persuaded my 
uncle to dismiss her for I was 
certain I could do all the work. 

"This proved to be a big under- 
taking but my uncle was surely 
satisfied for he gave me $60 and 
a beautiful piano lamp for my 




Hilda Hilkey, Auburn 



services for six weeks. 

"My duties included those of nurse and housekeeper. Every 
morning I got my aunt ready for breakfast by washing her 
hands and face and straightening the bed covers. Then I 
prepared a light breakfast which I fed her as she was very 
weak. She was propped up in bed against the back of a chair 
as a rest. At 10:30 in the morning I gave her a bath and 
alcohol rub. It was a comfort to have that easy feeling when 
changing the sheet or the patient's nightgown without tiring 
her. Some time each day was used in reading to her. 

"It was impossible for her to take anything but a liquid 



45 

diet. I prepared such foods for her as light cereals, malted 
milk, and beef tea and I gave her water and milk to drink. 
''Although I was proud of the money which my uncle gave 
me, I was just as pleased to have the doctor say to me, 'If what 
you have done shows the training the girls are getting in 
vocational home economics, it is one of the best courses ever 
put into the school'," (Hilda Hilkey, Auburn.) 

The Family Darner 

"Since I have taken home economics I have become an ex- 
pert at darning stockings. Mother noticed that I could darn 
stockings much better than she could so she lets me do the 
darning for the family now. There are three children in the 
family, so I have had plenty of experience in mending. The 
children say that they cannot feel the darned places and do 
not object to wearing the mended stockings. Mother finds 
that it is much more economical to pay me for darning them 
than to buy new ones and it also takes from her the responsi- 
bility of worrying about the weekly mending of stockings." 
(Agnes J. Leonard, Winamac.) 

The Scientific Cook 

"Before I took the home economics course my mother 
would never let me bake a cake but had my sister do it. One 
day at school we learned to make cakes. Mine was simply 
delicious and I took it home to prove that I could bake well. 
My mother was really astonished to see such a nice cake. She 
said: 'Are you sure you made it?' And I said, 'Yes, I did 
and I can tell you just how to make it.' 

"When father came home from work that evening mother 
gave him a piece of it and he said, 'Who made that good cake ?' 
and mother told him I did. Then he said, 'Get busy right now 
and make one just like it for my lunch tomorrow noon.' This 
cake was even better than the one I made at school. The 
reason my cakes are better than sister's is because I know 
how to regulate the oven correctly and mix the ingredients 
properly. Now cake baking is my regular duty." (Grace 
Jones, Wabash.) 



46 



"I worked at a home during the 
summer of 1921 in order that I 
could attend school during 1921- 
1922, Where I worked, the lady- 
did not believe in the cold pack 
method, even though I tried my 
best to convince her that it was 
the best from appearance, taste, 
and from the hygienic standpoint. 
"One Thursday evening about 
five o'clock when green beans 
were in season she decided to go 
to spend a day or so with friends. 
Soon after she had gone I decided 
I would pack a few beans the next 
morning. I went home a little 
early that night and persuaded 
mother to let me have some beans 
to can. 

"Friday morning I went to work with a smile on my face 
and a basket of beans on my arm. I tested the jars, lids, and 
rubbers, and washed them, and packed the beans in two quart 
jars and one pint jar. I put a teaspoon of salt to each quart, 
filled the cans nearly full with water, put the lids on loosely, 
and placed them in a tall copper receptacle. I started the fire 
and let the water boil until time to take the jars out. I re- 
moved them from the fire and tightened the lids, then I set 
them on end to cool. 

"Saturday, March 4, 1922, one of the men told me how good 
those beans were that I put up last summer. Monday, March 
6, 1922, I asked the lady how the beans were and she replied, 
'They certainly were fine and next summer I expect to can 
by the cold pack method'." (Mildred Garl, Plymouth.) 




Mildred Garl, Plymouth 



Helped Me to Remain in School 

"The vocational home economics course has been a help to 
me because it has kept me in school and at the same time 
helped me to earn my own money. The only training I have 
had is what I obtained from the vocational course. It enabled 
me to stay in a private home and do all the housework. 

"Last week I was left alone to take care of the house. I 



47 



had a family of four to cook for. I did the planning and buy- 
ing and kept the house in perfect order and sent the boy to 
school every morning. Had I not taken the very helpful 
vocational course I would not have been able to take care of 
the house as its owner had before she left. 

"The vocational course also made it possible for me to do 
all my sewing which saves dressmaking bills." (Fay Bisdorf, 
Wabash.) 

House Planning- and Furnishing 

"The houses we are planning in our home economics class 
seem to be my chief delight. When I enter a strange house 
I find myself casting an eye about to see if the colors 
harmonize or if the furniture is balanced. I am always hunt- 
ing new ideas for little conveniences and new ideas for making 
a home attractive." (Winnifred Morriss, Plymouth.) 



"The home economics course 
has taught me many valuable les- 
sons, I feel perfectly at ease in 
cooking and sewing and I have 
been able to earn money because 
of what I have learned. Last 
summer in our project work, my 
cousin Hilda Vergon and I earned 
money from mending, making 
garments, and laundry work. I 
even knotted comforts and put 
them together." (Dorothea Sands, 
Huntington.) 




Dorothea Sands and Hilda Vergon, 
Huntinglon 



Helps Her Mother 

"One morning father told me my mother was sick. This 
was my opportunity to cook. After breakfast my father went 
in the bedroom and I heard mother ask if he had enough for 
breakfast and he said, 'Yes, things were good.' He asked 



48 



mother what I could fix for her but she said 'Nothing.' Yet 
I went into the kitchen and fixed up a tray so dainty that it 
would make anybody hungry to look at it. But before I gave 
her her breakfast I thought of what our teacher said, that 
a sick room should look inviting so I fixed the room up by 
pulling up the blind to let the sunlight in. I then washed 
mother's face and combed back her hair and brought the 
breakfast. Of course she said 'I don't want anything to eat,' 
but when she had looked at the tray she changed her mind. 
So if your mother ever becomes ill just try and fix up every- 
thing so dainty that she can't help eating." (Thelma Burns, 
Plymouth.) 

Mother Is Glad 

"I am next to the oldest of a family of seven children. 
Mother always taught me to help her but as she had so many 
to look after she did not have time to show me how to do 
everything just so. In 1920 I started to high school and took 
the vocational course. As a result I now do all of my own 
sewing, help mother with hers, make my own hats, do most 
of the cooking and serving, and help mother keep the home 
attractive." (Ellen Pegg, Wabash.) 




Home Nursing' Class, Indianapolis Evening School 



"One lesson in the home nursing class dealt with convul- 
sions, and shortly after that time I was called into the home 
of a neighbor who had a patient in convulsions. I first counted 



49 

her pulse and found it normal, then I applied cold cloths to 
the head and put her feet in hot water and in a short time 
she was better. I was not frightened because I knew just 
what to do. We called a doctor but he refused to come because 
he said there was nothing he could do — that I had done the 
right thing." (Mrs. Ruth Rudd, Indianapolis Evening School.) 

What Home Nursing' Has Done for Me 

"Having a number of old ladies in the Alpha Home, ranging 
from 65 to 104 years, I have had many cases of fainting, 
apoplexy, and shock and I have learned in the nursing class 
that I have given the wrong treatment in many cases. When 
they had apoplexy I treated them for fainting and when they 
fainted I treated them for apoplexy. I laid them down when 
I should have had them sit up and I had them sit up when I 
should have laid them down. Since we have had the nursing 
class in the Alpha Home I have been helped in every case of 
sickness, in making beds properly, taking temperature and 
pulse, and in deciding when to give stimulants and when not." 
(Mrs. Zack Hayden, Indianapolis Evening School.) 



STATEMENT BY THE STATE SUPERVISOR OF 
HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION 

Bertha Latta 

Vocational pupils in home economics in Aurora, Brookston, 
Spencer, Worthington, and many other cities are called upon 
to cater and assist at weddings, parties, and receptions and 
to prepare and serve luncheons, dinners, and banquets. One 
vocational teacher reports that "The community has learned 
that it can depend upon the vocational department to pre- 
pare food and serve it." 

Better habits of dress among high school girls prevail in 
many schools including Fairmount, Pendleton, and Veeders- 
burg since the vocational girls have been making and wear- 
ing appropriate clothing. 

Girls who had little or no desire for school, in Huntington, 
Plymouth, Wabash, and other cities, learned to make hats 
and dresses, to feed the family, buy economically, care for 



50 

the sick, decorate the home, etc., and on becoming interested 
remained in school for additional training. 

As a result of vocational training in many parts of the 
state, communities have been aroused to better methods of 
homemaking, and mothers as well as daughters provide for 
their families better food, better clothes, and better general 
care. 



